


Change

by TopsyCrit



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-08-23 01:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8309065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopsyCrit/pseuds/TopsyCrit
Summary: Leaving the Underground had always been a dream. If Papyrus was honest, it should have stayed as just that, a dream. Things were different up here. Things were wrong. This wasn't home. The bad heavily outweighed the good and he was willing to give anything to protect his brother. Sans would just have to live with his decision.





	1. The Surface

Things never stay the same. Everything always changes. That is the inevitability of the world.

Yet, Papyrus couldn’t accept it. This was something that definitely shouldn’t have happened. There was no reason for anything like this to have occurred. It just did.

He didn’t have to like it. He didn’t have to sit next to brother and feel like this. He did. Papyrus wasn’t just angry. He was absolutely furious.

He was sitting in the only hospital that took monsters. The humans hadn’t cared when Papyrus had brought his brother for treatment. They didn’t even give him the decency of a hospital gown. He was solely covered with a thin sheet.

It wasn’t like the humans were actually doing anything to help his brother. Sans was so very sick. His bones shook violently with every wheezing breath he took. Occasionally, he would cough up dust. Sans couldn’t even stand anymore.

Papyrus hadn’t known what to do. He had gone to the only place where his brother could have been helped but they laughed at him. The only doctor to even enter room had made a joke.

“Well, he is a skeleton, can’t get much deader than that!”

The only reason Sans was even still here was Alphys. She had called the hospital and ‘encouraged’ them to treat Sans. Not because she cared, she had refused to even attempt to treat him. No, Papyrus could see the simplest of truths now. She didn’t want to help. These humans didn’t want to help. All they wanted was to look good, to be able to go to some group and brag about all the monsters they healed. It was only a matter of time before that doctor would tell about the skeletons who thought they could live. The only one who cared about his brother was him.

Papyrus had to do something. His brother was dying. The only one to ever actually support him, honestly and without ulterior motives, would die if he couldn’t fix it. It all started when they reached the surface.

_The sun shone so brightly. Everyone was so happy. It was perfect._

_Then they met the humans. It had gone so well. Mutual peace was arranged after only a few meetings. There were some requirements, though._

  1. _Monsters must never be in the streets after 11pm._
  2. _Monsters must all live a minimum of 500ft from any school._
  3. _Magic cannot be used in public spaces or in the presence of children._



_Although they were restrictive, King Asgore agreed to the terms. He was willing to agree to pretty much anything for a peaceful transition to the surface, not to mention the humans looking the other way about the other six human souls._

_It seemed relatively harmless. The humans only wanted to protect their children from something new and scary. But they kept adding new requirements, each time with the approval of King Asgore. Monsters cannot drive vehicles, run for office, find employment in the government, etc…_

_Then there were the identification cards. Every monster was required to carry an ID with them wherever they went. Through some odd human logic, a combined value of HP, ATK, and DEF were plugged into some equation used to determine the ‘age’ of each monster. Monsters falling underneath the arbitrary ‘age’ of 18 were declared children. They were given the only exception for proximity to schools as they were require to attend a certain number of days each year. Any monster declared to be a child required another monster or human to act as guardian until they were decided to have entered adulthood._

Sans had been classified as a child. His brother wasn’t the strongest or tallest monster around but he definitely wasn’t a child. He was a full grown monster and should be treated like such.

He wasn’t. By some ridiculous human policy, he was considered a mere child. He was to attend school with others his ‘age’ to learn with human children.

If that hadn’t been humiliating enough, all ‘child’ monsters were required to wear special ‘suppressant’ bracelets. Alphys had designed them to prevent magical outbursts whenever a young monster experienced extreme mood swings.

She gave Sans two, due to ‘magical potential’. The large metal rings looked more like handcuffs than anything else. Even in the hospital, he was required to wear them.

Papyrus had no doubts that the bracelets had something to do with how ill Sans was now. With the inclusion of the bracelets, nine monsters fell down to Surface Sickness. It was blamed on the different pollution levels on the surface versus the underground. It was blamed on having weakened immune systems.

But Papyrus knew better. Every single monster who fell down wore one of those bracelets. They were all children. All except Sans, who was uncomfortably close to falling down himself. It was a horrible and bitter truth. Monsters were sacrificing their loved ones, their children, just to live on the surface.

It wasn’t worth it. Losing his brother, his only family, wasn’t worth the surface. The stars weren’t bright enough and the grass wasn’t green enough for that. Sans shouldn’t have to die like this.

Papyrus got up. He knew what was coming. There wasn’t a chance for Sans, not if something didn’t change.

“I’LL BE RIGHT BACK, BROTHER! DO NOT WORRY.”

He left without getting a reply. He knew there wouldn’t be one. Sans hadn’t spoken in well over a month. Oh, what he would give to hear his brother say some silly pun again.

Briskly, Papyrus headed to their apartment. It was small and quite expensive, but it was the only property they could find located near both the hospital and Papyrus’ job.

The television from their downstairs neighbor could be heard clearly as Papyrus packed things into a bag.

**_Channel Nine reporter, Angela Fran, on the scene. Today is a big day in monster and human relations. The very first humans have graduated training and are being inducted into the Royal Guard. It is the first time in history that humans will serve under a monster to protect the monster King._ **

Papyrus felt sick. At one point, he would’ve done anything to get into the Guard. The surface wasn’t just stealing his brother, it had stolen that dream. There was no way to attend training when you have to work overtime just to survive. Sans was worth every hour.

Double checking what he’d packed, Papyrus added a few small packets of ketchup alongside his scarf and Sans’ old jacket. If this didn’t work, at least Sans would have one last comfort.

Reluctantly, Papyrus dialed his phone. There was only one part of the surface which wasn’t too awful. His coworkers were nice men. They understood what he was going through. He’d miss them.

“HELLO. YES, THIS IS PAPYRUS!”

“Ehh! Papyrus, how’s the little man doing?”

 It had been easier to follow human customs to explain Sans. In this world, Sans was a child. In this world, Papyrus was his father. Genetics didn’t matter.

“NOT WELL. THAT’S WHY I AM CALLING.” Papyrus waited for the words to sink in.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Man that really sucks. Any idea how long till?”

“MAYBE A WEEK. MAYBE LESS.”

“Listen, take it off. Make it memorable.”

“THANK YOU.”

“No problem.” There was a pregnant pause. “Hey, maybe you could bring him over for a few. You know we all love the little guy. Let us, you know, say good bye?”

“OF COURSE. I SHALL BRING HIM OVER LATER TODAY.”

“It’s that bad huh?”

“THEY DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO BE AWAKE THIS MORNING.”

“Geeze, I am so sorry.”

When Papyrus did bring Sans over, the small skeleton was passed around like a doll. Every mechanic was there, even if it was their day off. They all wanted to see him one last time. They all gave their condolences.

Papyrus couldn’t help but smile. Not all humans were bad. People could do bad things but still be good people. At least half the humans currently handling his brother had been imprisoned for one thing or another. Yet, they were better to the skeletons than any other humans had been. Even Frisk had practically ignored them once they got to the surface.

These men had been ostracized. They had been beaten down. But they were all a family. They all cared about each other. For them, Papyrus was like a brother. Losing Sans was losing one of their own kids.

It hurt to leave. It hurt to stay. Papyrus slowly made his way back up the mountain.

Had he been asked if he’d ever willingly leave the surface before, he would have said no. Had he been told everything that was going to happen, he wouldn’t have believed it. But now he knew the surface wasn’t this wonderful dream. It was a hideous nightmare filled with deceptions and horror. The surface was not home.

They were going home. Carrying Sans had become a necessity. He was so weak and frail now. He hardly resembled the strong monster that had raised Papyrus. Looking at Sans made Papyrus angry. His brother shouldn’t be so helpless.

All he had to do was get back. They needed to go home. Up the mountain Papyrus climbed. He clutched Sans to his front with their bag on his back. It was getting dark now. Soon, they would reach the top. They were going home.

The Underground was creepily empty. It seemed that every nook and cranny had been abandoned as soon as the barrier came down. What fools they were!

The only place which wasn’t devoid of life was Snowdin. Of the few monsters who had decided to stay, Grillby was one of them. He’d even kept the bar open, somehow. It had been one of Sans’ favorite places.

“HEY SANS, LET US GO TO GRILLBY’S.” He smiled down at the sleeping skeleton in his arms. “IT IS NOT NEARLY AS GREASY AS SOME HUMAN ESTABLISHMENTS.”

Only the fire elemental was there. As always, he was wiping down the counters. For once, Papyrus appreciated the flame’s presence.

“HELLO GRILLBY! SANS AND I HAVE COME TO VISIT!”

“I can see that.” Grillby crackled. “How have you been?”

“YOU HAVE NOT HEARD?” He was certain someone would have told the elemental about the surface.

“I’ve heard plenty but I’d rather get information from the source.”

It was no wonder Sans had visited the bar often. That simple statement was all it took. Papyrus sat at a booth for hours telling the flame everything about the surface. Thankfully, Sans slept straight through the parts about how his sickness upset Papyrus. In fact, Sans only woke up near the end.

“So, you plan to risk both of your lives to finish what your father started.”

“YES.”

“Would you like any assistance?”

Papyrus’ thoughts were stopped in their tracks. Grillby was going to help? Why?

“WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT?”

“I’m an old monster. I lived through the war. I lived to see my family and friends die.” The flame paused to reminiscence. “So, I suppose it might seem insignificant but I’d rather not be collecting more dust.”

“I AM QUITE CAPABLE OF FIXING THE MACHINE.”

“I have no doubts that you are but two monsters could fix it much faster.”

“FINE.”

“Then let us get to it.” The flame stood. “We don’t have time to waste.”

They didn’t. At any moment, Sans could fall. They had to finish quickly.

The basement was surprisingly organized and clean for it being a ‘Sans only’ room. Not that Papyrus was complaining. It made finding supplies so much easier.

Grillby and Papyrus silently set to work. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle with pieces everywhere and no specific image to reference. Thankfully, Sans was awake now.

Although the small skeleton wasn’t able to talk or actually help assemble the parts, he could still direct their actions. Carefully, he signed out instructions on what part went where. There was no joking around or random conversation. All three monsters were focused on their task.

Finally, it was completed. The machine whirred to life. For once, Papyrus felt uncertain. This could just as easily kill them both rather than help but it was too late now.

Stepping inside with Sans in his arms, Papyrus prayed for a miracle.

“Take care of each other, won’t you?”

“OF COURSE!” Papyrus watched as the flame began to leave. “ARE YOU COMING?”

“No.” He looked at them sadly. “I have no wish to see what could have been. Be safe.”

A door upstairs could be heard closing as Papyrus fiddled with the controls. He wasn’t exactly sure where they would end up. All he knew was that it had to be better than the surface. It had to be better than losing everything.

The machine shook violently as a flash of light engulfed them. Wherever they were going, there was no backing out now. The brothers held tightly onto each other.

The world was somehow darker when they arrived. Snowdin looked the same but also different. Their house was still there yet it wasn’t their house. It wasn’t until a bone wedged itself into the frame near his head that Papyrus even noticed the occupant.

“WHO DARES ENTER THE HOME OF THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD?” The tall skeleton snarled, wielding a bone club.

It should have startled Papyrus. He should have been confused or scared. Instead he was elated. His plan had worked!

“I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” He approached the other skeleton with confidence. “THIS IS MY BROTHER SANS.”

“LOOKS LIKE A WEAK LITTLE WELP TO ME!” There was something in the other Papyrus’ voice that made him pause.

“HE IS WEAK.” He mulled over the proper way to say this. The barrier was obviously still strong here. “HE CONTRACTED A VERY DEADLY ILLNESS FROM HUMANS. AT ANY POINT, HE COULD DIE.”

The other Papyrus seemed to soften. “THIS PLACE ISN’T SAFE FOR WEAK MONSTERS.”

“HOW GREAT OF A CAPTAIN YOU MUST BE.” Papyrus returned the other’s snarl. “PERHAPS YOUR SANS WILL BE OF BETTER ASSITANCE THAN YOU!”

“HE CANNOT HELP YOU.”

“WELL, WE SHOULD LET HIM DECIDE.”

The other Papyrus interrupted before he could call out for another Sans.

“HE DIED.”

Both skeletons stood staring at each other for a moment.

“HOW?”

The other didn’t respond. 

“WERE YOU NOT CAPABLE OF PROTECTING HIM?” Papyrus wasn’t mad, just curious.

“IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.” This other Papyrus had gotten uncomfortably close. His hands hovered over Sans, an uncertain look on his face. “I WAS MUCH WEAKER THEN.”

“WHAT IF YOU HAD A SECOND CHANCE? WHAT IF YOU COULD PROTECT HIM?”

The other was intent on Sans.

“MY SANS IS VERY ILL.” Papyrus’ resolve was withering the longer he stayed. He had to finish his plan. “IF YOU CAN CURE HIM, I WILL ALLOW HIM TO BE YOUR BROTHER.”

“YOU WILL JUST LET ME HAVE HIM?”

“YES.”

“AND YOU WILL GO BACK TO WHEREVER YOU CAME FROM?”

“YES.” Papyrus knew he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

“LET ME SEE HIM.”

Reluctantly, Papyrus handed Sans over to the other him. The sleeping skeleton looked even smaller in his arms. Still, Papyrus waited. He needed Sans to be healed. He needed someone capable of removing the bracelets.

“YOU FOOL.” The words dripped from the other’s mouth like venom. “YOU JUST GAVE ME THE ONLY THING YOU HAD TO OFFER.”

Papyrus didn’t blink when a barrage of bones pinned him against the wall. He didn’t flinch as the blaster roared. He smiled, at peace, when his soul shattered into a million pieces.

He’d given up living a while back. Without Sans, it wasn’t worth it. Sans deserved a brother who could take care of him. He deserved a brother that could protect him. This new Papyrus could do that. He was much stronger.

Sans was home.


	2. Chapter 2

His attack was fueled by more than a simple need for elimination. It was edged on by his anger. The skeleton in Papyrus’ arms felt incredibly frail. This Sans was far weaker than his had been even moments before his death. No Papyrus should have ever let their brother get so weak. A Sans couldn’t help his biology but his brother should have been able to protect them.  That Papyrus was failing, just like he had before.

_It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to be here! Sans was supposed to be halfway across the Underground working one of his jobs. He was supposed to be anywhere but here._

_Why was he here? Papyrus hadn’t told him about joining the Royal Guard, about being sworn in. He shouldn’t be here. Yet, Sans was here. He’d been dragged in by one of the many guards only moments after Papyrus’ oath.  The king loomed over the small skeleton, grinning._

_“Now that you’re a Guardsman, distractions and weaknesses must be eliminated from your life. We’ll start with this glaring deficiency.”_

_Papyrus froze as the trident came crashing down on his brother’s skull. Sans’ smile never wavered. Even as his body disappeared forever, he was fearless. His last words were barely audible but Papyrus would remember them forever._

_“Love you bro.”_

_He was gone. Just like that, Sans was gone. Papyrus had failed._

Papyrus clutched at this new Sans, his new Sans, protectively. He couldn’t afford to fail again; he likely wouldn’t get another chance. It was by some miracle that he got this one.

What was it the other Papyrus had said? Something about a human illness infecting Sans. If that was the case, Papyrus had only one choice. The Royal Scientist was likely sleeping at this hour, but she’d just have to get over it. There was work to do.

* * *

 

Groggily, Sans awoke. The constant jostling was almost enough to lull him back asleep but something was different. While the movements were fast paced and purposeful, like Papyrus, it didn’t feel like Papyrus carrying him. Whoever it was seemed stiff and overly cautious. Sans couldn’t tell who it was, all he saw was red. Despite straining to get a look at the monster carrying him, Sans couldn’t move.

There was the ever present feeling of his magic being ebbed away, yet it didn’t seem like he shouldn’t be able to move at all. He had felt the weakness growing in his legs before. He’d known without trying that he couldn’t speak when he’d lost that. Still, he couldn’t move.

Maybe that’s why it felt odd being carried. Maybe Papyrus had noticed something and was taking him to the doctors again. If something had gone wrong with the machine, it would only stand to reason that Papyrus wanted to ensure nothing else hurt him.

The movements were comforting, yet the small skeleton couldn’t fully relax. He wasn’t able to actually see anything and he couldn’t definitively identify Papyrus. Normally, the taller skeleton would talk constantly. It was as much a comfort for Sans as his jacket had been. The silence put him on edge.

“ALPHYS! I DEMAND ENTRY AND ASSISTANCE!”

A voice broke the silence, but it didn’t discourage any of Sans’ anxiety. It sounded similar to Papyrus but the voice was much more gruff and stern. Even when upset, Papyrus never sounded quite like that, yet it did sound almost like Papyrus. If his brother was worried about him again, it made sense to call for Alphys. While she hadn’t helped yet, she might do something if things got too bad.

Had it? Had he gotten so weak that Alphys would actually try something? What had even happened?

Whispers, too quiet to be understood, reached the small skeleton. The mystery voice was joined by another. While he couldn’t decipher the sounds, hushed whispering was always a cause for concern.

The red that Sans could see was suddenly moving. It took a moment for him to identify the scarf as such but then there was something much more pressing to process. Sans was being looked down at by two monsters.

The first was clearly Alphys. Although her clothing was unique, it wasn’t particularly bothersome. He hadn’t seen her in a long time, after all.

The other monster was what really caught Sans’ attention. The monster, a skeleton, looked so much like Papyrus. The other’s face was littered with scars ranging from miniscule to colossal. Even with all those scars, the monster looked down at him with kindness. The monster even smiled, but concern was clearly etched across his face.

Slowly, the realization of who the monster was dawned on him. The machine had actually worked. There was no other way to explain how someone who wasn’t Papyrus could look so much like him. The relief at their success was only momentary as his thoughts moved back to Papyrus. If this was a different universe and that was a different Papyrus, where was his brother?

So focused on the not Papyrus, Sans hadn’t noticed Alphys moving his limbs. His arm was being flopped around every which way, yet he hadn’t felt anything. Seeing each movement, he knew he should have noticed but he hadn’t. He couldn’t feel anything.

The monsters were talking but, while loud enough to hear, Sans didn’t pay any attention to the conversation. Desperately, he willed his arm to move, to twitch, to at least tingle. There was nothing. The realization of just how much he’d lost was overwhelming. What was the point? Why did things have to go so right only to turn so wrong? 

He could see Alphys messing with the bracelets. With a loud snap, they split and fell off. Just like that, they were gone. The one thing they’d spent countless nights trying to remove with any contraption they could find was off with so little effort on her part. He was finally free of those awful contraptions, yet no matter how he tried to force any part of his body to move, he couldn’t.

Clenching his eyes closed, he tried to suppress his emotions. He knew he was being childish, but it just wasn’t fair. He wanted to cry and scream. He’d thought it was so simple. Remove those dang bracelets and he’d be fine and dandy. He wasn’t. Things didn’t just go back to normal. He was still stuck like this. Maybe, just maybe, he’d gradually get everything back but what if it was permanent? What if he was just stuck helpless and useless like this forever? He couldn’t even do anything about it! Gosh, he really wanted Papyrus to be there right now. At least Papyrus would talk to him, say everything was going to be alright, say anything really. It was a small comfort but one the small skeleton desperately needed.

Reluctantly, Sans reopened his eyes. He couldn’t even struggle when the not Papyrus began to wrap the scarf around his eyes again. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. He couldn’t even move! He was no better than a baby bones at this point.

He was no stronger than the child they’d claimed him as. Even without the bracelets, he was pathetically weak. All he wanted to do was to go home and sleep. Where was his Papyrus?

They were moving again, that much was clear. The movements were obviously that of the other Papyrus, who appeared to going much faster than he had before. Still, Sans couldn’t return to the relative peace provided by sleep.

A low whisper caught the skeleton’s attention.

“I know you are not asleep.” The other Papyrus was calm and quiet. “It is okay to be scared. Being in an entirely different situation can be quite intimidating but I promise you are in safe hands.”

There was a long pause before he spoke again.

“I am certain both of us have many questions. Those will have to wait until you’ve recovered from the dampeners. I will do whatever is necessary to expedite the recovery process.”  Sighing, the other adjusted his hold on the smaller skeleton. “I must apologize in advance. It has been quite some time since I’ve had friendly guests in my home. Nonetheless, I will attempt to be the best host possible.”

Despite having received no response, this Papyrus began humming. The tune was oddly jolly and vaguely familiar. Whether it was the tune or the calming movements of being carried, Sans didn’t know. All he knew was that he found himself drifting off to sleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may be obvious but UF Alphys has experience with the dampeners/bracelets Sans was forced to wear. Even with those removed, Sans has a long way to return to his normal self.  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge delay and rather short chapter. Hopefully, everyone still enjoys.
> 
> Also an enormous thank you to AivaRobinson (https://archiveofourown.org/users/AivaRobinson) for being my beta on this!

A soft smile spread over Papyrus’ face as he placed the small skeleton on his couch. Careful not to jostle him too much, Papyrus removed the scarf and was gifted the incredibly blissful face only found when someone was having wonderful dreams. It had truly been ages since he’d last seen another seem so peaceful, even for a moment.

It didn’t hurt that it was a baby faced version of his brother. It wasn’t his brother, not really, but it was a second chance. Papyrus could be a better brother, a better monster, this time. He wasn’t going to fail.

Still, the dampeners were troublesome. The Underground was cruel, but dampeners were something else. The use of dampeners had been banned long before he’d been born. They were the worst form of punishment any monster could experience. They were historically used as a painfully slow execution. 

There would be no way of avoiding an investigation. No doubt, Alphys was already formalizing a report at this very minute. It would only be a matter of time before he was summoned before the king with this new brother. That was inevitable.

He’d just have to figure something out. Hiding was impossible but he didn’t like doing so anyway. There had to be something.

Papyrus couldn’t allow himself to fail again. He’d protect this Sans, somehow, from the dangers he faced daily. He’d protect him from a king too focused on trivial matters and eliminating weaknesses instead of learning to work with them. If the small skeleton’s face was anything to go off of, he didn’t know the first thing about surviving in a harsh world. He’d be easily dusted if Papyrus wasn’t careful.

No, he’d succeed this time. This Sans would not suffer the same fate as his original brother. Papyrus was certain of this.

It would be difficult, but somehow he’s make sure of it. No king or guard was going to ruin this. This Sans would survive.

Silently, the tall skeleton ascended the stairs. He’d need to ready an actual room for his new brother to stay in. It simply wouldn’t do for him to sleep on the couch forever.

Even as he turned the doorknob, Papyrus questioned himself. This… This was his Sans’ room, not someone else’s. He’d slept here, albeit not for very long, but still. It felt wrong. Could he really just push all of his brother’s stuff away?

It wasn’t really him, it was just items, but they were Sans’. His Sans, the real Sans, lived here. It was his room.

Standing in the middle of the room, Papyrus couldn’t bring himself to actually make any changes. He should straighten the twisted sheets, or at least replace them with freshly cleaned ones. He could start with the pile of clothes just sitting there and move onto the oddly sustained trash tornado. He should do a thorough cleaning in general.

He didn’t. Turning and leaving, Papyrus quickly locked the room and entered his own instead. No. It didn’t matter that this was a second Sans. He was not sleeping in that room. No one would. He hadn’t cleaned it since that day and he wasn’t going to do so now.

Sans, new Sans, was going to sleep in Papyrus’ room instead. Until they’d figured out a more permanent arrangement, the taller skeleton would simply sleep on the couch. It would be highly uncomfortable for extended periods like that, but a soft bed was imperative for his new brother’s health. It was much easier to heal when comfortable.

Humming, Papyrus straightened his already made bed and dusted the already spotless room. It was nice, a mindless distraction from what he actually should be focusing on. His brother, his new brother, was going to need patience and support. He’d need to be shown how everything worked in addition to being taught the basics of survival.

Before all that, Papyrus would have to see if the damage could actually be reversed. If it couldn’t… Papyrus refused to consider what that meant. He’d simply make sure that his new brother was ready to face any and all challenges he might face. He’d have Papyrus with him every step of the way.

Content that the room was as good as it was going to get, Papyrus grabbed a well-worn picture book from his shelf. It was a tradition he’d never forgotten and had no intentions of abandoning with his new brother. He would just have to do the reading like he’d had to do ever since Sans was gone.

Perhaps, this new Sans had a similar tradition. Even if it wasn’t the same book, reading was a perfect exercise for the mind and rather relaxing. With that in mind, Papyrus headed back to the sleeping skeleton.

This would be fine. They could enjoy the tradition together and try not to think of when it meant home, when it meant being safe. This new brother would be safe, somehow. This was his home now. Papyrus just had to make sure that nothing went wrong. He just couldn’t fail, not again.

Quietly settling down next to the still sleeping skeleton, Papyrus forced a smile. Everything was okay. When this Sans woke up, he’d be good as new. All he needed was a little time.

“It is indeed time for a good night story, new brother.” Papyrus situated the book so that the other could see. “I do hope you enjoy. It’s actually one of my favorites, that he…”

A book he used to read. Even when Papyrus had been a right pain, story time was never cancelled. No matter how badly he’d messed up, his brother simply shrugged it off and read. Papyrus could scream and shout as his brother read and nothing would happen.

He’d have to be that strong. There was no easy way. He had to survive and make sure the other skeleton did as well.  He’d be like Sans and smile through the pain. He’d do whatever it took to make sure everything turned out okay. For now, he didn’t try and think of a plan. For now, he focused on the small body near his and began to read.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up wasn’t something Papyrus expected to do ever again. The burn of bones breaking him into a million little pieces was all too soon, all too recent. He didn’t expect there to be any form of recovery from it. He didn’t expect his body to be fully in tact or to notice everything was perfectly in place in his dimly lit room.   
He didn’t expect any of that, much less waking up and knowing immediately where he was. Snowdin had been home for so long, filled with memories of him and his brother. It was the place he’d always called home, yet they’d abandoned.  
Still, he was back in that old bedroom, staring at a familiar wall, with no explanation as to why. Leaping out from under the sheets, Papyrus bolted out into the hallway.   
“SANS! SANS!” He called out, hopeful that this meant something was different.   
Perhaps, by some odd miracle, their trip had forced things to change. His brother could be perfectly healthy now and the problem on the surface could be resolved. Somehow, they’d have it all figured out and fixed.   
So, Papyrus was hopeful. Even as he careened through their old home, looking for the brother he’d always known would be there, he called out. Electric excitement filled the air as he searched.   
It came to a screeching halt when he actually pushed open the door into Sans’ room. Well, it used to be Sans’ bedroom, even if it didn’t look it. All that greeted Papyrus was a suspiciously neat room. One twin bed with perfectly straightened sheets and a plain nightstand stared back at the tall skeleton.   
It didn’t make sense. Papyrus clearly recalled his brother’s room being a mess more often than not. It wasn’t even this clean when they’d just moved. It didn’t even look like anyone had slept in the bed for years.   
Slowly descending down the stairs, Papyrus actually looked at their home. There was no mess to be seen, no offending sock or notes. Everything was perfectly orderly as if it had been recently cleaned.   
There really wasn’t a solid explanation, not in Papyrus’ mind. He hadn’t cleaned this, not that he could recall. Someone else must have, since there was no way Sans would have done so willingly. It was the closest possible reasoning he had, but it only created more questions than it answered.   
Why would anyone take the time to clean their home? Even if they cleaned the bulk of the rooms, why touch anything in Sans’ bedroom? The bed was far too neat for his brother to have slept in it recently. In fact, the entire house seemed to allude to the notion his brother hadn’t been inside in a very long time. It… It didn’t make any sense.   
Maybe Grillby knew. Now that Papyrus was really thinking about it, maybe Grillby had done the cleaning. The elemental seemed like a clean monster, despite the food he served. He could have taken to cleaning their home as a kind gesture. Though, it didn’t explain why he would feel so inclined. There was only one way to answer that.   
Bolting out, Papyrus sprinted over to Grillby’s. Waving and recognizing a surprising number of monsters that greeted him so early in the morning, Papyrus couldn’t quite shake how wrong everything seemed.   
A part of him, deep down in his soul, was filled with the lightest claws of confusion. He seldom was this noticed in town, much less with smiles and enthusiastic greetings. It almost seemed like everyone was in on a large secret which the tall skeleton was not privy too. There hadn’t even been that many monsters willing to visit the underground after getting to the surface, but this seemed even more populated than prior to then. Half the monsters that greeted Papyrus he knew only by vague inklings to their name and jobs.   
Papyrus was exceptionally relieved to reach the bar and see just the older flame wiping everything down. It was far too early for any monster to justifiably view this establishment as a decent option. They could wait at least until mid-morning to make terrible life decisions. Brushing his biases aside, Papyrus stomped right up to the bar.   
Once there, he wasn’t entirely certain what to say. Demanding to know if Grillby had cleaned their home seemed rude and ungrateful. No matter how odd it was for the house to be sparkling, Papyrus could appreciate the improvement. He just wished it wasn’t so cold and sterile. They still needed to live there after all.   
“GRILLBY, HAVE YOU SEEN SANS?” That seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to start the conversation. Papyrus hadn’t seen him, not since… Well, obviously things were different now. He wasn’t dead so Sans had to be somewhere.   
“Sans,” The elemental paused his cleaning for but a second to stare at Papyrus. “Don’t you remember?”   
Papyrus did remember, quite a few things. He remembered the surface with the sun. He remembered the people and all their anger towards monsters. He remembered the kindness at his work and the great contrast between that and the population as a whole. He remembered a lot of things.   
“It’s been years,” the flame continued. “You’re father made a mistake and neither of them are coming back. They’re gone.”  
Gone… Papyrus knew gone. Dusting was the strongest memory, and the fuzziest at the same time. He knew why he had to. Papyrus knew that he had dusted, but Sans had not. He knew that it was the right thing, but he wasn’t dead. He wasn’t gone. He was here, somehow, and Sans was not.   
If Sans didn’t come back when Papyrus somehow did; that meant he was back there, with the other Papyrus. It was the only explanation that Papyrus could accept. His brother wasn’t gone. He couldn’t be gone, not forever. He’d find a solution to this human problem and find Sans. He had to. Life wasn’t worth it without his brother.  
Papyrus didn’t listen to Grillby as he left. He didn’t want to hear whatever the elemental had to say. He thought Sans was gone. He’d given up on him. Papyrus refused to do that.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't used this site before so this and all my other work is on fanfiction.net .  
> If you have suggestions for me to improve (or just something you'd like to see), I'm eager to give it a try.  
> Thanks for reading.


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